Proportionality In Lesson 3

Goran Rickard Johansson In Lesson 5: “Proportionality should be a guideline in war” McNamara answers the question of why the incendiary and nuclear bombs were dropped on Japanese cities by the U.S during World War II. Comparing the population of these Japanese cities to cities in America of equivalent size, McNamara says that the proportionality of the war on Japan was immoral. For instance, 51% of Tokyo was destroyed, with Tokyo being approximately the size of New York. In Toyama, 99% of the equivalent of Chattanooga was destroyed. According to McNamara, the killing of 50-90% of the people in 67 Japanese cities, and then dropping two nuclear bombs, was not proportional to the objectives that the U.S was trying to achieve. Unfortunately,
Ford’s sales had not been great, and after a rigorous recruitment process McNamara was offered an executive position. He set up a market research organization, focusing first on sales demographics and then later accident reports, to make the vehicles safer. Analyzing data reports, he concluded the best strategy for the company, and what changes that needed to be done in order to increase sales. He later received a promotion and became the first non-family member in the position as president of Ford. He held this position for five weeks before resigning because he was appointed Secretary of Defense by John F. Kennedy. He was first offered the position as Secretary of Treasury in which he declined. At first, he did not think he was qualified, but Kennedy convinced him otherwise and promptly announced that McNamara had assumed the responsibilities as Secretary of Defense. Drawing on his expertise in statistical analysis, he goes on to advise the president on how to maximize efficiency of fighting the Vietnam
The U.S responded by returning fire with torpedoes and machine guns. The confrontation leads the U.S to further engagement in the war. McNamara describes a state of confusion. At one point the Maddox reported they weren’t certain that the attack happened, then later they claimed it had. As a result of the acclaimed attack, president Johnson retaliated by bombing targets in Vietnam. McNamara admits that the second attack never happened, and that their judgement had been wrong. Apparently, many reports of torpedoes spotted on sonar had been the result of strained sonar-operator errors. The retaliation was initiated because the U.S believed that Vietnam were the aggressors, but in hindsight McNamara states “We see what we want to believe”, and concludes that belief and seeing are both often